Children's Home run by Arnfield Care Limited in Derbyshire

Assurance visit report: SC020133 1 SC020133

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight young people. It provides short- to medium-term crisis placements. The home is owned by a private company. Education is provided on site at the organisation’s own school. The home specialises in providing young people with outdoor adventure activities.

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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:

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Information about this visit

 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: SC020133 2

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The care of children

Care and education staff work well together. When young people move into the home they are promptly enrolled at school or college. As a result, young people who have been out of education make quick progress.

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The care of children

Young people access outdoor-based education and activities. This can include mountain biking, walking, climbing and caving. They are encouraged to challenge themselves. Young people have opportunities to gain qualifications in these activities.

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The care of children

A key feature of this home is the rural setting, that allows easy access to adventurous activities. Young people benefit from being away from negative and risky influences. Young people have opportunities to reflect on previous experiences and develop strategies to become safer in the future.

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The care of children

Young people were helped to cope with the impact of COVID-19. Staff managed this well. Young people continued to enjoy some activities. They were also enabled to keep in touch with their families through the creative use of technology.

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The safety of children

Young people quickly build good relationships with staff. They trust staff to act sensitively in meeting their health and care needs. This provides young people with a strong sense of safety and security.

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The safety of children

Staff have continued to access training during COVID-19. This has included training on safeguarding and self-harmful behaviours. This ensures that staff understand the complex needs of young people and how to keep them safe.

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The safety of children

Staff generally have a good understanding of the young people’s vulnerabilities. However, staff do not consistently update risk assessments for young people. They do not always change strategies and learn from incidents. This means that, in some areas, young people’s risk has not reduced.

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The safety of children

Safeguarding records are not always clear. This means that opportunities have been missed to identify ways to improve practice.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has a number of years’ experience at this home. She works well with her experienced and established deputy manager. The managers are well supported by the responsible individual.

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Leaders and managers

Managers can evidence substantial improvement since the last inspection. The home has benefited from major refurbishment. This means that young people now have access to an environment that meets their needs and is both homely and welcoming. Assurance visit report: SC020133 3 Managers work closely and effectively with partner agencies. They have strong links with local schools, colleges and work placements. This ensures young people’s education needs are addressed promptly from the point of admission.

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Leaders and managers

Staff benefit from a dedicated training officer. The training officer works closely with leaders and managers. This ensures that staff training is tailored to the needs of young people.

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Leaders and managers

Managers understand the benefits of an experienced, stable and consistent staff team in providing good-quality care for young people. A recruitment adviser leads on improving staff retention.

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 11/12/2020

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that is helpful to the child (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, Page 62, 14.4) Assurance visit report: SC020133 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arnfield Care Limited

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC020133 5 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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