Children's home run by Nottinghamshire County Council

Inspection report for children's home: SC044291 1 SC044291 Registered provider: Nottinghamshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home is registered to care for three children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a suitably qualified and registered manager.

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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 for children's home: SC044291 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/08/2021 Full Outstanding 28/05/2019 Full Good 04/07/2018 Full Good 07/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC044291 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at this home have complex needs. They are making good progress because of the care and support provided by staff. The staff encourage children to communicate and express themselves, for example, by using ‘communication cards’ to good effect. Children are given the opportunity to explore their identity and they are supported by staff to embrace new experiences. This allows children’s confidence to grow.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school or an alternative education provision. Staff are ambitious for the children and support them in the classroom. For example, staff remain in school to support children who may be struggling to focus. Staff work closely with other external professionals. A designated safeguarding lead from a school said, ‘Never worked with a home before and have experienced a similar, positive working relationship, staff have gone beyond expectations.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with staff. Staff listen to children and demonstrate a genuine nurturing care for them. The manager and the staff work creatively to ensure that children are able to see family and friends. Staff work well to help children improve these important relationships. Staff support children when they see their families and understand that family meetings can affect children’s emotions. The staff are there for the children at family meetings if needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have advocates. This means that children can raise any worries or concerns they have with someone external to the home. Managers encourage children to contact advocates if they need to discuss any issues that can affect their lives. However, children are not yet clear on how to make a complaint themselves or raise any grievances they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to develop their independence. They are supported by managers and staff to contribute to the relevant meetings held to consider their plans. The children’s views and ideas are listened to and acted upon where possible. For example, when children requested individual holidays, the manager ensured that this happened. Children also asked for a separate bathroom with a bath and the manager ensured this was provided.

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

The manager and staff are professionally curious. This leads to increased vigilance and enhances their ability to safeguard children. When children are missing from care, there is a coordinated multi-agency approach that reduces actual harm or risk of harm. The manager considers creative ways to reduce the incidents of children going missing from care. Inspection report for children's home: SC044291 4 Children have developed trusting relationship with the managers and staff. Children have benefited from having a stable and secure team. The staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Staff work with the children to help them reduce risk-taking behaviours and so become safer.

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

Children live in a safe environment. The manager is diligent in undertaking all the required checks to make sure the home is a safe place to live and work.

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

Children’s relevant plans are discussed in team meetings and during individual staff supervisions with the manager. This helps staff to have a good understanding of the children’s needs and risks and the plans developed to manage these risks. The manager ensures that the relevant service is available to meet children’s needs. For example, her close working relationship with local police has helped to support and protect children.

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

Children are encouraged to speak to staff about any concerns they might have. This enables children to receive support and avoid any escalation to challenging behaviours. Staff rarely use physical r estraint when children are struggling to manage overwhelming emotions. However, on one occasion when a restraint was used, the record was not sufficiently detailed. The child’s views were not captured. This was a missed opportunity to learn about how the child could be safer next time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced and committed manager. She is well supported by a dedicated deputy manager, and they are committed to the children. They ensure that they are always available for the children. Staff morale is good. Staff are positive about working at the home. They say they receive good support from their manager and that she ‘creates a positive work environment’,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All the professional meetings about the children are attended by the managers. This means that both managers have a shared understanding of children’s plans. However, the manager has not ensured that one child’s care review took place within timescales. The monitoring system has been addressed to ensure that all children’s meetings take place as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high expectations of her staff. She expects the team to deliver the best possible care for children. The manager is committed and leads by example. She is developing the training for the team to enhance the staff’s learning and development. The manager has rigorous oversight of children’s plans and completes regular audits of staff working practices. This includes making unannounced visits to the home, often at night. There are vacancies in the team but the manager does not have to rely on temporary staff. The permanent staff work together and share the same core values of providing consistency of care to children. This has resulted in the children receiving consistent care from staff who know them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All the staff have regular professional supervision. Their individual development plans are reviewed and support is provided, if required. This has resulted in the staff being Inspection report for children's home: SC044291 5 positive about their work, with the shared aim of providing good and safe care for children. However, at times, the manager has not been robust in ensuring that employment references contain all the information required to be assured there are no concerns with the new member of staff. Inspection report for children's home: SC044291 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 registered person must within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that debriefs are carried out with a child who is the subject of a physical restraint. 13 January 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings standard. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered

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Recommendations

person to— (ii) has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 20, paragraph 7 (b) (ii) Inspection report for children's home: SC044291 7

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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: SC044291 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nottinghamshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Bridgford House, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG2 7UN

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Inspector

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC044291 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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