Children's Home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2508344 1 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

A local authority operates this home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

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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 carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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: 25 February 2020

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report for children's home: 2508344 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 31/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2508344 3

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outstanding

Children grow in self-confidence and self-esteem because they are so well supported by staff. Children are able to express their individuality and take pride in their achievements. Staff are hugely confident and competent in meeting children’s very complex needs. Children make exceptional progress because of this.

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outstanding

Staff have a very good understanding of each child’s needs. Thorough care planning leads to exceptional care and support. Children are given particularly effective support when they are preparing to move on from the home. Transition plans are individually tailored to each child’s needs. When moving towards independence, children learn the skills that they need to be successful.

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outstanding

Support is continued when children leave the home. For example, staff provide consistency by continuing to take children to school from their new placement. Staff also provide advice to new carers about how best to care for children. One health professional said that one transition plan was the best that they had ever seen.

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outstanding

Children’s health needs are exceptionally well considered and met by staff. Staff work very closely and proactively with a variety of health services. There is a very strong therapeutic approach. Staff are empathetic, understanding the complexities of children’s previous life experiences and how these have an impact on their behaviour.

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outstanding

Staff engage with parents and family members extremely well. This enables children to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. Visits to family members are supported very well and children are given the right help to deal with the emotional impact of time spent with family.

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outstanding

Staff advocate strongly for the children to ensure that they have access to good education provision. Staff work very creatively to make sure that children have positive education experiences that build on their talents and reflect their aspirations. As a result, children engage with education and make clear progress.

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outstanding

Staff support children to have good memories of their time at the home. Staff go to great lengths to keep photos, letters and memorabilia in a ‘journey book’. Children can take this book with them when they leave the home. However, children are not encouraged to contribute fully to this record of their care. Also, children are not currently offered the opportunity to read their social care files and are not provided with advice about how to access these records in later life. Inspection report for children's home: 2508344 4

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outstanding

The registered manager and staff understand the children’s vulnerabilities very well. The manager goes to great lengths to understand how best to protect children. For example, he has studied serious case reviews to ensure that lessons are applied to the practice in the home. As a result, risk management plans are very effective.

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outstanding

The home’s complaints and allegations management processes are clear and well understood by staff. The quality of relationships between staff and children mean that children have not felt it necessary to make any complaints or raise concerns formally.

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outstanding

Staff have received good-quality safeguarding training. As a result, they have a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Staff know how to report any concerns that they may have. Whistle-blowing procedures are accessible and fully understood by staff. These effective systems protect children.

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outstanding

Behaviour management systems are strong. De-escalation strategies are so effective that staff have not had to resort to physical intervention. Staff communicate clearly when children become anxious or upset. As a result, children feel safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an inspirational leader. He is highly ambitious for children and staff. A key strength of the home is the way that managers keep abreast of latest research and then share this with staff. As a result, staff have good insight into the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is very supportive of staff. He is aware of the particular strengths and skills of each staff member. Staff are encouraged to develop their own specialisms. For example, a staff member has been supported to study equine therapy. Another staff member is taking a qualification in yoga so that they can provide activities for the children. This approach motivates the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and team have ambitious and creative development plans to improve the service. An example of creative leadership is that previous residents come to the home to talk to staff about their own care experiences. This means that staff can learn lessons and adapt their own practice. This improves outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has used his own research to develop new strategies that support children’s emotional well-being. This work is now being rolled out across the local authority’s other services. This is an example of the manager positively influencing the wider care sector.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are very well supported by managers in their day-to-day practice. Managers are visible and approachable. This has led to a settled, confident staff team. The Inspection report for children's home: 2508344 5 registered manager’s style produces a strong sense of commitment and loyalty from staff. Staff receive regular, good-quality formal supervision. However, where opportunities for staff to improve their practice are identified, these are not always clearly recorded in supervision records. Inspection report for children's home: 2508344 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure staff encourage children to see the home’s records as a living document, supporting them to view and contribute to the record that reflects their voice on a regular basis. This specifically relates to the children’s journey files, for children to write comments on and put their name and the date on the letters and forms. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure children are actively encouraged to read their records and add further information to them, and are reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. This is in relation to children being given opportunities to read their formal LAC files. There should be evidence this is being done regularly, include any questions or comments from

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Recommendations

children and record that children have been told how to access their files in later life. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)  The registered person should ensure good practice regarding staff supervision, particularly for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept. This is in relation to actions and outcomes in the supervision record being completed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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 for children's home: 2508344 7

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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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Inspectors

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Tracy Murty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2508344 8 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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