Children's Home run by Grace Care Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report children's home: SC436818 1 SC436818 Registered provider: Grace Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder. The home provides care for children who require medium- to long-term settled care.

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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.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 09 December 2021 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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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: SC436818 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/04/2019 Full Good 09/05/2018 Full Good 19/07/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC436818 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a settled home. They lead full and happy lives. Their experiences are enriched by a range of interesting activities. Staff make sure that children’s complex needs do not stop them from accessing activities and amenities that they enjoy. For example, children have recently been to theme parks, gone swimming, played golf, and attended horse-riding lessons. The range of activities provided helps children to develop social skills and grow in confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly and continued to do so during the COVID-19 restrictions. They have each received a good school report, demonstrating their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents report that staff have worked with them very well to make sure that their family visits can continue despite the restrictions associated with the pandemic. Parents and carers speak very positively about the care their children receive. They praise the home highly. Children are also very positive about their care. One child told the inspector that they were happy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When it is time for them to move into adult services, children are extremely well supported. Staff present information to children in a way that they can understand. This includes the use of pictorial aids and social stories. Children only move out of the home when staff feel that they are as prepared as they can be.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy very positive relationships with staff. Good staffing levels mean that children can enjoy quality time with staff. Staff ensure that they recognise and celebrate each child’s unique differences and personality. Children’s progress is captured well using photographs, memory books and other records.

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

Children are safe. Risk assessments give clear instructions about how staff should protect children. Staff understand the children’s risk assessments well and ensure that they adhere to them fully.

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

Staff are committed, resilient and always remain positive in their responses to any challenging behaviours displayed by children. With management support, staff regularly review and analyse their approaches to children’s behaviour. Staff also work effectively with other professionals to share information, learn lessons and update strategies.

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

Restraint is very rarely required because children have such good relationships with staff. Staff communicate sensitively and with great care when children are anxious or upset. Children listen to staff and have become better able to manage their own stress and anxiety. However, when a restraint was required, the records did not Inspection report children's home: SC436818 4 contain sufficient detail. This has the capacity to hinder the ability of managers or independent visitors to carry out an effective review of the incident.

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

Allegations and safeguarding matters are always escalated and investigated appropriately. Staff training is good in relation to safeguarding children. Staff know what to do when a safeguarding situation arises and fully understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

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

When staff are recruited, their background is checked to make sure that they are suitable to work with children. However, recruitment records for agency staff are not scrutinised to the same high level as those of the staff who work directly for the organisation. There is the possibility that important information could be overlooked if this is not put right.

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

One child’s bedroom and bathroom are not well maintained, and not all potential hazards have been addressed. For example, the bathroom is difficult to keep clean because there is grout missing from the floor tiles, the light cord is dirty and the sealant around the bath has also become dirty.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager for over a year. However, the responsible individual has provided a consistent management presence and has made determined efforts to recruit. The current manager is preparing to make her application to Ofsted to become registered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff have been very committed to the children during what has been a difficult year. The physical demands on staff who care for children with harmful behaviours have presented a particular challenge to staff. However, they have pulled together and remained positive, even when there have been staff shortages due to the pandemic. It is a credit to all the staff and managers that children have seen very little change in their lives during such a challenging time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the children’s needs can sometimes be difficult to meet, managers are resilient and determined. However, they are not afraid to recommend alternative placements if that is what is best for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The requirement made at the last inspection relating to the staff sleep-in accommodation has been addressed. The improvements mean that staff have more privacy and better conditions. Inspection report children's home: SC436818 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to the cleanliness and condition of one child’s bathroom and bedroom 31 January 2022

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC436818 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 27 Meadow Close, Nottingham NG2 3HZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Beverley Russell

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Inspector

Caroline Brailsford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC436818 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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