Children's Home run by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2662265 1 Registered provider: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a local authority. It was registered in November 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to two children with social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is experienced and holds the required qualifications for the position held.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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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: not applicable

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2662265 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2662265 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have started to thrive after settling in their new home. Their progress is evident in their presentation. The children are more confident, feel able to express their feelings and views, and are more able to cope with everyday life. Education attendance and engagement has also started to increase. This helps children to learn, socialise and become more confident.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The high nurture approach and the practice model used by staff have had a positive impact on the children. The children have built strong connections and trusting relationships with the staff. This, in turn, enables the staff to care, guide and support the children. This consistent care is the foundation that is supporting the children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children routinely see family members and others who are important to them. Staff recognise how crucial this is and ensure that visits, video and phone calls take place. This positively promotes the children’s identity and family networks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff respond to the children’s suggestions of what they wish to do. There are lots of discussions to gain their views. The children enjoy a range of social and leisure activities. These include meeting with friends, doing arts and crafts and going on day trips to places of interest. This extends the children’s social and wider community experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional and physical health needs are well met. There is a focus on living a healthy lifestyle, with good levels of activity and eating a balanced diet. Staff promote and support the children to attend health check-up appointments. Where children are reluctant to attend, staff give reassurance and encouragement. However, one planned health assessment for a child did not take place and is yet to be rescheduled. This is a missed opportunity to monitor the health of the child and further promote their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live in a domestic house that is well furnished and decorated. There are homely touches of pictures, ornaments and soft furnishings. Children have personalised bedrooms that reflect their interests and choices. However, decoration in the hallway and specific areas in bedrooms is starting to show signs of wear and tear. In addition, the children’s beds do not have a headboard. These detract from the otherwise positive and homely environment.

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

The safety of children is part of everyday life. Staff demonstrate that they are aware of the individual risks and vulnerabilities for each child in their care. Written risk assessments are reviewed routinely, and the identified safeguards are implemented by staff. This helps to better protect the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2662265 4 The children’s achievements are routinely and fully recognised by staff. The positive things that the children accomplish are captured and documented in ‘Wow’ moments. These are recorded with photographs and messages of praise. The children respond well to these. This radiates positivity, and gives a clear message to the child that they are doing well.

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

Staff know what to do if a child goes missing. There have been no such incidents. This shows that children are settled and are safely cared for by the staff.

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

Staff are trained in a range of safety areas, which include first aid, medication, health and safety, behaviour management and the safeguarding of children. This assists the staff to have the necessary knowledge and skills to keep children safe.

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

Children respond very well to the therapeutic practice model used by staff that supports their emotional and behavioural well-being. Over time, the children have become better able to regulate their emotions. When upset, the approach used by staff helps each child to return to a calm level more easily. As a result, there has been no use of sanctions, and only one occasion when a child was needed to be held to keep them and others safe from harm.

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

Most staff have received physical intervention training. However, new staff have not received this training prior to working with the children. This falls short of ensuring that all staff can safely hold a child in instances where this is required to keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and deputy provide the staff with strong leadership and vision. The senior team leads by example, role modelling the therapeutic model of care that the children receive. This is a high nurture approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager gives direction and support, and has established high expectations of the staff. This ensures that children benefit from good-quality care. A family ethos is promoted. The compelling and clear leadership has set a strong foundation that supports the staff to undertake their duties. This helps to ensure that staff put the children at the centre of all that they do.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from good staffing levels. This helps to ensure that children have the right level of support that meets their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Sound and effective communication systems exist. These include daily shift plans, detailed and thorough staff handovers, and staff and clinical reflective meetings. This ensures that the care of the children is organised, and the staff know what they are doing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak about their work with commitment and passion. They say that they are very well supported, and that morale and teamwork are ‘great’. Staff receive formal Inspection report for children’s home: 2662265 5 supervision routinely. This includes practice-related discussions and individual development. This makes sure that the staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities to care for the children, with a focus on continual learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are positive and state that the staff work in partnership with them to organise and assist the children to thrive and make progress. There is regular communication with all professionals. The new staff team recognises the need to ensure that all staff consistently share the information passed to them by professionals. As a result, children benefit from consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive most of the essential training at the commencement of employment. In addition, some staff receive more specialist training in such areas as the practice therapeutic model of playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy (PACE). However, there are gaps in some staff specified training and supporting courses. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that all the staff are highly skilled in this area, in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Thorough internal and external monitoring systems exist. The shortfalls detected are swiftly addressed to ensure that the quality of care remains to a consistently good standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s first regulation 45, six-monthly monitoring report is positive and fully focused on the journey of the children, their progress and well-being. However, it falls short of fully meeting the requirement of the regulation. The report does not specifically include feedback from the children, thus capturing their opinions about the facilities provided and quality of care that they receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2662265 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This includes ensuring that staff complete physical intervention training at the point of commencing employment. 28 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities, and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)) 28 August 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment. In particular, ensure that decoration is maintained to a good standard, addressing areas that are showing signs of wear and tear. The children’s beds should have headboards. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15 paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff play a key role in organising and ensuring each child’s attendance at the necessary primary and secondary health services. Inspection report for children’s home: 2662265 7 In particular, ensure health assessments take place and are rescheduled if missed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34 paragraph 7.11)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and

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Recommendations

20). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. In particular, make sure that staff and managers receive all the supporting and therapeutic training in a timely manner. To ensure they can fully implement the practice model, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53 paragraph 10.8)

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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: 2662265 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Riverside House, Main Street, Rotherham S60 1AE

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Inspector

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2662265 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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