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Inspection report children's home: SC437069 1 SC437069 Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The service is registered to provide short breaks for up to six young people, irrespective of gender, who are aged between seven and 17 and who have moderate to severe learning and/or physical disabilities. The children may have additional sensory impairments and disabilities. A local authority owns and manages the service.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered by Ofsted in November 2011.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was accommodated on a full-time basis while a more suitable placement was being identified by the local authority which operates the home.

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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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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: Outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children's home: SC437069 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/06/2019 Full Outstanding 25/04/2018 Full Outstanding 04/07/2017 Full Outstanding 19/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC437069 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the home has supported a number of children in need of emergency placements. The home also adapted its service to accommodate a child at short notice, when it became necessary to move the child from another children’s home. The adaptability and flexibility of staff has greatly benefited these children. The staff team has worked creatively in adapting to the needs of these children while continuing to offer a reduced short-break provision. A staff member summarised the commitment of staff, saying: ‘The staff are tired, but everyone is putting 110% in for the families and the children. When another child needs us, we have to put our capes on and shine.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The communal indoor and outdoor areas are enriching and colourful. Children enjoy spending time with staff in these areas. There is a variety of toys and play equipment available and staff ensure that children have fun. Bedrooms and bathrooms are sparser and more clinical in appearance. These areas are not decorated as thoughtfully as the communal areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive nurturing care from staff who know them well. Careful placement planning means that children settle quickly into the home at the start of their placements or short breaks. Staff understand the importance of making children feel welcome and cherished when they come to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Short breaks are well planned so that children have opportunities to spend time with friends and make new friends. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each child’s tastes and preferences. As a result, children enjoy well-planned activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from parents and carers is positive. There are good working relationships between staff and families. Families talk about the positive benefits of the short breaks. One parent said: ‘The place is absolutely fantastic.’ Staff understand and empathise with the challenges that have been faced by children and families during the pandemic. This helps them to find creative solutions that support children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

New tracking documents, designed to help staff monitor the progress of children, have been introduced. The system is likely to improve the care planning and quality assurance systems but is still at an early stage of implementation.

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

Children are supported to take appropriate and managed risks while having fun and learning new skills. Children are able to safely take part in activities that they would not be able to do at home. This helps them to grow in confidence.

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

Physical interventions are used appropriately and only as a last resort when necessary to keep children safe. Managers carefully review each incident of restraint Inspection report children's home: SC437069 4 and share information with children’s social workers and parents. This open, transparent approach ensures that any areas of potential improvement can be identified.

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

Staff are well trained in safeguarding. They fully understand their safeguarding responsibilities and know how to report any concerns that they may have.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s particular vulnerabilities. Risk assessment and risk management systems are clear and effective. Because each child has their own dedicated staff team who work with them consistently, staff have a very clear understanding of how to care for children safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have taken steps to improve the service. For example, the staff now operate in dedicated teams that are linked to particular children. This has enabled greater consistency of care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have responded well to the changing demands on the service during the pandemic. The service has been flexible and responsive in managing emergency placements. However, this has reduced the capacity of managers to carry out some quality assurance, service improvement and performance management tasks. Some staff report feeling less well supported in recent months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide staff with regular supervision, during which there are useful discussions about children’s care plans. Staff have been supported to share their views in supervision. However, there is not clear evidence that managers have responded to some issues raised by staff during supervisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff team meetings have not been taking place as often as they had previously. This has reduced opportunities for staff to share ideas, reflect on their practice and review care strategies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders generally advocate well for children. They ensure that staff adapt care arrangements to the needs of each child and family. For example, they have provided daily support to one child at school. However, when other children’s education has been disrupted, managers have not taken enough action to challenge or escalate concerns to senior managers in the organisation. Inspection report children's home: SC437069 5

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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—

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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)) 12 November

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Recommendation

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC437069 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Derbyshire County Council, County Offices, Matlock DE4 3AG

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Inspector

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC437069 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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