Children's Home run by Arnfield Care Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2651753 1 Registered provider: Arnfield Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a private provider. It provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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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

Date of last inspection: This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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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: 2651753 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the home’s first inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2651753 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive sensitive and nurturing care from staff who have a variety of skills and experience. Since the home opened, staff have worked hard to build strong relationships with children. This demonstrates to children that staff care about them. Children say that, while it may not be their choice to live at the home, they like it and they know that the staff team is ‘looking out’ for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have moved into the home following significant risks to their safety settle in well and engage in the home’s routines. Children begin to reflect on their previous experiences. They make significant progress in relation to their starting points, especially in relation to their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is prioritised. The provider runs an independent school which all of the children attend. They benefit from having classrooms on the home site, and they benefit from the school’s rich and diverse curriculum. During the inspection, children participated in a ‘street-art’ walk, and outdoor water activities, as well as more formal classroom learning. Unique learning opportunities help children to develop their understanding of the world, as well as improving their self-esteem and physical health. For example, one child is learning how to swim.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the children have previously been reluctant to attend education. The perseverance of staff helps children to engage and achieve. Very recently, two children heard the news that they had passed some qualifications. Both children will be leaving the home in the near future and these qualifications will give them opportunities for the future. There is extremely close information-sharing between education staff and residential staff. As a result, children receive continuity in their care and education from well-informed staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although there is a comprehensive direct work programme in place covering issues such as knife crime, self-esteem and drug and alcohol use, staff have not always been able to prioritise this work. This is a missed opportunity to help children explore in more depth significant issues that may affect them. The new manager has ensured that this programme of work is now prioritised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see the people who are important to them. Staff keep parents informed about the progress their child is making. Parents’ opinions are positive about the care their children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is situated in a rural farming area close to a small town. The majority of children who live at the home come from inner cities and, for some, this is the first time they have experienced living in the countryside. The provider does not always consider that children may feel anxious about their new surroundings before they move to the home and during their stay. Inspection report for children’s home: 2651753 4

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities, such as whistle-blowing. Safeguarding concerns are managed well. Staff work hard to ensure that children are protected from harm.

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

Staff use their skills and their knowledge of the children to keep incidents to a minimum. Risks to children decrease significantly during their time at the home. They develop an increased sense of safety and well-being. There have been no missing-from-care events and no use of physical intervention at the home. Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. Staff use their skills and experience to keep incidents to a minimum.

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

Staff follow clear risk management plans that help to keep children safe. Children are safer because staff know them well and meet their individual needs.

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

Staff recruitment is carried out in accordance with safer recruitment protocols. This helps to prevent unsuitable adults caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s registered manager left the service in February 2022. A comprehensive and effective management plan was put in place by the company directors and responsible individual. This has helped to ensure the smooth running of the home while a new manager was recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recognising the vulnerabilities of a newly registered home, directors made a conscious decision to keep the number of children who moved into the home low. This helped to ensure that the newly formed staff team was not overwhelmed and could continue to meet children’s needs. A new manager has been appointed and is preparing her application to register. The new manager is very experienced and has previously been a registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

During the time the home was without a manager, the staff team pulled together and their focus was on ensuring that children received good-quality care and were kept safe. This was achieved but, as a result, some leadership and management tasks were overlooked. For example, case records are not always up to date. The responsible individual and the new manager recognise these shortfalls and are forming a management plan to further improve the functioning of the home, including developing a home development plan. Their focus is on embedding systems, policies and processes to further enhance the running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Members of staff are happy in their work. They receive good-quality training which equips them with the skills they need to care for children. In the period where there was no registered manager, senior managers were present and available in the home. This management support was valued by staff. Some of the staff are new to the home and are receiving a good-quality induction. This is enabling them to settle into the home and build positive relationships with the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2651753 5 External agencies describe the home and the care children receive positively. A social worker said, ‘I have no negative feedback, only positive.’ Communication is consistently described as being a strength of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2651753 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 2651753 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arnfield Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arnfield Tower Activity Centre, Manchester Road, Tintwistle, Glossop SK13 1NE

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Inspector

Catherine Honey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2651753 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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