Children's Home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 1 SC488596 Registered provider: Derby City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a local authority and provides care for up to four children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager was appointed in June 2021. She is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the last full inspection, we served a compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/08/2021 Full Inadequate 22/06/2021 Full Inadequate 12/11/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 3

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improvement to be good

At the last inspection of this home, shortfalls in practice were identified. Improvements have now started to be made. There has been no repeat of serious safeguarding concerns. Additionally, arrangements to administer and record medication have improved. These improvements are being embedded in care practice. However, further work is required to enable this home to provide consistently good care to children.

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improvement to be good

Newly recruited staff quickly develop meaningful relationships with children. Staff share their own interests with children and they encourage them to try new things. For example, one member of staff is encouraging the children to improve their health and well-being through regular exercise at a gymnasium.

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improvement to be good

Staff want the best for children. They persevere through some difficult and challenging times. Staff maintain their resilience and always recognise the progress that children make, no matter how small this might be. For one child this is now spending more time downstairs with peers and staff. Children’s diets have improved. Children are encouraged to engage with their individual education plans to get them on track to make progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff develop meaningful relationships with the children’s families. They support the children to see their families regularly, within the agreed local authority plan. One of the children is considering a shared care arrangement with family, while another child is planning to live independently. This is good progress.

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improvement to be good

The children’s home environment has changed since the last inspection. There is now a cinema room where children can spend time together watching movies. Exercise equipment which was damaged has been removed, improving the overall look of the home. However, some of the children’s bedrooms are untidy and not welcoming. Managers’ daily checks on these bedrooms have not been effective in identifying problems that need to be put right.

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improvement to be good

Staff record the administration of children’s medication more consistently. They report that they are less likely to be interrupted when administering medication. This improvement is attributed to changes in the procedure. However, managers’ oversight of this process is not yet fully effective as some errors have continued, despite the changes. This is an enduring problem and is a risk to children. Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 4 Managers have not ensured that there are effective links with social workers. At times, children’s care planning lacks clarity. When social workers raise concerns, there is a lack of effective communication, which leads to drift in addressing problems and getting children on track to make progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff are confident in their knowledge and skills in safeguarding children. They know how to report any concerns they might have about children’s welfare. Staff have completed the relevant safeguarding children training. They report that the manager is visible and approachable. The staff are confident in raising safeguarding concerns with her because they will be taken seriously.

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improvement to be good

Staff support and encourage children to manage their behaviour. If a child is involved in a concerning incident, staff carry out an individual key-work session with them. This means that there are opportunities for staff to provide advice and guidance to children. This helps children to reflect on their behaviour and develop alternative ways to manage strong emotions and feelings without resorting to aggression.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff act immediately. They make continuous efforts to maintain contact with the children. The managers and staff coordinate the search for the children with the police. Children’s families are kept informed. When children return home, they are met with a caring response. This means that incidents of children going missing from the home have decreased.

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good

A new manager took up her post in June 2021. She is becoming more established and beginning to make an impact. She is now starting to get the home onto an improvement trajectory. A new deputy manager has recently started. Although this additional management capacity will take time to embed, there are early signs that it is effective.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions with a manager. The recording of supervision is effective. However, when staff have raised concerns about medication practices with their supervisor, a lack of oversight of the supervision process by managers and poor reporting has meant that they are not always aware of the concerns raised by staff.

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good

Training and development are effective. Staff are encouraged to attend a wide variety of training courses, including first aid, fire safety, and supervision training for managers. When a specific training need is identified, managers act quickly to ensure that all staff can attend the training.

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good

Leaders and managers ensure that the home is properly staffed. This ensures that the needs of the children are met. Managers have recognised that the staff team needs more experience. They have coordinated with the wider service to ensure that Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 5 suitable staff begin to work at the home. This means the children are cared for by a team with a wide variety of experience.

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good

The compliance notice and three of the four requirements set at the last inspection have been met. At this inspection, two requirements and one recommendation have been made in response to identified shortfalls. Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 6

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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 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))

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Requirement Due date

Managers must ensure that practice in relation to the administration and recording of medication is improved. 22 October 2021

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Manager’s oversight and monitoring of the children’s home should be further strengthened. 22 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes work closely with the placing authority to understand the child’s relationship history and the impact that the child’s arrival may have on the group living at the home. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.3)

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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: SC488596 8

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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