Children's home run by The Senad Group Limited in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC358046 1 SC358046 Registered provider: The Senad Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run service is registered as a children’s home with a school on the same site. The home provides care and accommodation for up to 32 children who have autism spectrum disorder, Asperger syndrome, acquired brain injury and/or communication difficulties. Most of the current children return to their family home for the school holidays. The manager registered with Ofsted in 2014. She is qualified and has substantial experience.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC358046 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2019 Full Good 26/09/2018 Full Outstanding 14/11/2017 Full Outstanding 14/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC358046 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and have good relationships with the staff. Staff know the children very well and have their well-being at the centre of their work. Sensitive personal information about children is managed respectfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to. Staff spend a lot of time seeking children’s views so that they can understand what is important to them. This informs all daily decisions, such as menu planning, activities and rewards. If it is not possible to act on children’s requests, staff take time to explain the reasons why. This helps children feel valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to complain. They are reminded in their monthly meetings about the complaints process. When they do complain, their views are taken seriously, and they are provided with a well-considered and timely response by the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop independent life skills through effective target setting. Regular monitoring means that staff can determine whether children are making progress. Targets are changed if it is felt that the child is not coping. This personalised and responsive approach means that targets are appropriate and meaningful to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s mental and emotional health is recognised as a priority. Regular communication with the therapy team ensures that any concerns about children are quickly identified. Safety plans are detailed. Staff are skilled at responding and adapting to the different needs of children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children feel safe and secure. Parents said that children are always happy to return after spending time at their family home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Risks are well managed through regular multi-disciplinary meetings. Additional broader risks, such as personal relationships between children, are given dedicated time for discussion. This reflects the importance that the team gives to supporting children to take age-appropriate risks in a managed way.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

All safeguarding concerns are discussed by the management team. There has been one significant incident that was managed appropriately. A thorough internal review of practice led to changes in the way in which staff supervise children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Most children have 4G-enabled mobile telephones. Parents are expected to support with monitoring what their children do online. However, it is not clear who takes responsibility for determining whether regular checks are needed and who should complete the checks. This means that children could be putting themselves at risk through online activity. Inspection report children’s home: SC358046 4 Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and whistle blowing. It is comprehensively discussed during induction and is spoken about in every supervision meeting. Children are regularly asked about how safe they feel, which empowers them to raise any concerns that they might have.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff promote positive behaviour and set consistent boundaries for children. This means that there is minimal use of sanctions and physical interventions. Staff know the children very well and are skilled at using de-escalation techniques to manage children’s emotional responses. Some children have medication to help them manage their emotions. Clear written protocols determine when this should be used. However, inconsistent recording makes it difficult to determine the effectiveness of the protocol.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by an experienced and qualified manager. She has a good overview of the service and understands the strengths and areas for development. She carries out regular audits and has a reflective approach. All complaints and major incidents are investigated well, and any learning is disseminated throughout the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A particular strength of the home is the way in which children’s views are consistently and regularly sought. The manager’s core ethos is that children should be listened to. This belief is implemented throughout everyday practice. For example, children have been consulted about and fully involved in the design of a new kitchen and changes to the advocacy service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager takes time to understand each parent’s views. She respects their concerns and expectations. As a result, communication and partnership working with parents and families are excellent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is good. The staff team is stable and experienced. Regular reflective supervision helps staff to learn from incidents and to develop their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC358046 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that systems are in place to help keep children safe online. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19)

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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: SC358046 6

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Senad Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Senad Group Ltd, 1 St. Georges House, Vernon Gate, Derby DE1 1UQ

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Inspectors

Alison Marshall, Social Care Inspector Julie Knight, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC358046 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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