Children's Home, Residential special school run by The Senad Group Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC372504 1 SC372504 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 children’s home is the residential provision of an independent special school. It provides care for up to 39 children/young people aged from five to 19 years who may have learning disabilities, Prader-Willi syndrome or autism spectrum disorder conditions.

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Information about this children’s home

Children reside within one of five homes on the same site as the school.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He has been registered with Ofsted since January 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), 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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 8 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 4 June 2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC372504 2 Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC372504 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2019 Full Outstanding 15/05/2018 Full Good 21/06/2017 Full Good 24/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC372504 4

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outstanding

Children make significant progress towards reaching their full potential. Individualised and aspirational goals are agreed with each child. These are broken down into smaller realistic steps that children work towards. The goals are understood by all the staff, and progress against the individual goals is regularly reviewed. This enables children to fulfil their full potential.

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outstanding

Children make excellent progress in developing their life skills. Staff recognise and celebrate small, but significant, achievements for children, for example, a child learning to brush their teeth. Some children’s progress fluctuates, but staff quickly identify this and adjust the support to the child to get them on track to make progress. This helps children make small but continuous progress.

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outstanding

Children’s everyday worries and concerns are listened to and are taken seriously. For example, staff understand the impact peer relationships can have on children. Children’s worries about relationships with friends are not minimised. Children are listened to. Children are helped to find ways of managing these important relationships for the benefit of all. For example, staff find ways to give children individual space, but staff also encourage and promote sharing fun group activities.

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outstanding

Children are encouraged to make their own choices and to develop the independence needed for adulthood. One child recently decided to change his barber. Although it was further away, staff supported his choice. He has learnt how to book his appointment online and is learning how to get there by public transport. This demonstrates excellent progress for this child.

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outstanding

Children are busy at home and out in the community. Individual interests are encouraged and are developed. These often link to children’s aspirational goals. One child wants to go to a theme park overseas. Working with staff, he has built a series of activities that will help him to achieve this. Other children work towards increasing their independence in the community.

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outstanding

Staff know the children very well. Staff are knowledgeable about children’s needs, risks and vulnerabilities. The staff promote children’s strengths and identify any new risks. Children are supported to try new things and to take risks that are well managed by staff. Occasionally, children will test behavioural boundaries put in place, by staff, to keep them safe. Staff response to this is measured, realistic and always consistent. Children are supported to understand the consequence of their actions. Specific strategies are implemented by staff to enable children to undertake new activities. These strategies are highly effective, and the staff understand that Inspection report children’s home: SC372504 5 fundamental to children’s development, confidence and independence is trying new things to stretch the children in a supportive environment.

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outstanding

There has been a significant reduction in the use of all physical restraints. Staff have identified through observations of children and by reflecting on their own practice new and more innovative ways to support children in times of crisis. This, along with a restraint reduction programme that is regularly reviewed by senior managers, has contributed to the reduction in the use of all physical restraints.

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outstanding

Children rarely go missing. When they do, clear and detailed missing-from-care protocols mean the staff know what action to take. Debriefs with staff always take place which enable the protocols to be reviewed and updated.

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outstanding

Staff have been challenged, at times, by difficult behaviour from children. It has tested the ability of the staff to keep children safe and, at the same time, to help children make progress. Staff demonstrate significant commitment and resilience when facing these challenges. The therapy team contribute to the review of detailed behaviour support plans that staff implement consistently. Staff persevere with children going through difficult times and help them to remain safe.

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outstanding

All complaints, from children and others, are logged and are treated very seriously. The response from the manager is timely and very detailed. Learning from complaints is appropriately identified, and action is taken. For example, care plans were recently updated to include supporting children with emergency hospital admissions.

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outstanding

Safeguarding concerns are very well managed. Concerns are logged on an electronic system which ensures immediate management oversight and action. Regular safeguarding meetings track concerns and ensure all actions are followed up without delay. There have been no allegations made against staff since April 2020. Managers and leaders take safeguarding extremely seriously and act quickly and decisively in response to any concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is focused and dedicated to the children. He is aspirational for them and has a strong sense of his caring responsibilities. This influences his values, decision-making and how the service is managed. Staff, who share his ethos, want children to fulfil their potential. Management and staff practice does not limit children but enables them to thrive and to achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a strong and effective management team that has systematic oversight of all aspects of the home. Managers know when children are making progress. They also know if children are not making progress and set about changing this. The views of the child, the family and the staff are fundamental to the running of this home. There is a strong ethos of collaboration and working with families and other professionals to help children make very good progress across all areas of their development. Inspection report children’s home: SC372504 6 Staff feel very supported and happy to work at the home. Staff’s well-being has been prioritised by senior managers. Changes to the reporting system mean that staff can easily log any concerns they may have. Managers use this data in staff supervisions to discuss how staff are feeling. Other creative ideas, such as a well- being box containing chocolates and ‘goodies’, help with staff morale. Leaders and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

managers understand that crucial to the well-being of children is a well-motivated and happy staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a good oversight of staff training and can monitor if staff have sufficiently fulfilled their training requirements. Given the restrictions under lockdown, most training has been online. The manager can check if staff members have completed their training. Staff training and development are regularly discussed in staff supervision with reflection on the relevance to children. A newly appointed leader for the therapy team provided specific training for staff on individual children’s needs. External training was also provided to ensure staff have the skills and the knowledge to provide the very best care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has carried out a detailed analysis of staff retention. He has made changes to the recruitment process and is reviewing how to improve staff retention overall. Staff turnover has been an issue, and he wants to take action to stabilise the team. The manager has taken steps to ensure that induction and the initial training for staff has been strengthened further to give staff greater confidence. As a result, new staff are confident in following risk assessments, behaviour support plans and, thus, help children make progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC372504 7

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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: SC372504 8

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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: 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: SC372504 9 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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