Children's home run by YMCA Robin Hood Group

Inspection report for children’s home: 2691185 1 Registered provider: Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by an independent provider. It provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a manager who is suitably qualified, experienced and registered with Ofsted.

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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 outstanding

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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: not previously inspected.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: n/a

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2691185 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2691185 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is maintained to a very high standard and feels homely. Children are encouraged, by staff, to choose the decoration they like for their rooms and the home. One child recently decorated their bedroom as they wished. If any damage is caused in the home, this is quickly rectified by the manager and staff. This helps to maintain a good standard throughout and enables children to feel settled and comfortable in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good and warm relationships with staff, which are reciprocated by the staff and manager. There is a lot of laughter and fun. Staff encourage children to be playful and spend lots of time with them. This is encouraging one child to sing and dance at the home for the first time since they came to live there. As a result, children feel comfortable and relaxed with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s education is a key priority for staff. Where children are not able to attend mainstream education, staff ensure that educational activities are built into each day. The manager has been proactive in ensuring that children’s educational needs are met and advocates strongly for this. The staff recognise children’s potential, and children are praised for their achievements. This is helping to build children’s self-belief and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are most important to them. Staff think creatively about how the children’s time with their family is spent in the home if this cannot be supported in the community. Staff create an atmosphere where children feel able to share their wishes and feelings, especially about their families. For example, one child was able to write to an estranged family member; staff were responsive to this request and explored how this could be achieved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff care deeply about the children. Staff have a very good understanding of children’s past experiences and trauma. This informs the way that they approach children’s complex behaviours. Staff are committed to the children and are keen for their time at the home to be fun and focused on building confidence. Children regularly engage in activities. Staff are aware of the need to ensure that children are also engaged in activities within the community, to lessen any isolation children may experience.

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

Children’s emotional well-being is prioritised by the manager and staff. The preferred model of care is adhered to by staff, and they draw on professional advice to guide their care practice. Staff are focused on offering consistent behavioural boundaries to children. Should children be involved in incidents of concerning behaviour, the staff ensure that children make amends for their behaviour. As a result, children are Inspection report for children’s home: 2691185 4 beginning to better regulate their emotions and communicate with staff on how they are feeling.

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

Children’s individual risk assessments are dynamic and informed by any relevant court orders. The children’s individual risk and vulnerabilities are well understood by staff and the relevant assessments are updated following any incidents. The relevant documents pertaining to children are written clearly and allow staff to recognise and respond to any risk-taking behaviours. The manager reviews all incidents and takes any action if this is required.

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

Some children will try to harm themselves. These behaviours are well understood by staff. Staff understand the need for monitoring the children closely and recognise how a child could use the environment around them to cause themselves harm. Should children harm themselves, the response by staff is both calming and reassuring. Any incidents are documented clearly and enable a review of the actions taken by staff to keep children safe. Staff encourage children to disengage from self- injurious behaviour and raise the children’s awareness of the harm this can cause. This helps children to feel empowered to keep themselves safe because incidents are discussed in some depth.

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

The staff are having to use physical intervention, at times, to keep children safe. These interventions are proportionate and for the minimal amount of time. Incidents of restraint have significantly reduced for one child. All physical interventions are well recorded and there are opportunities for reflection with children and staff following incidents. Staff offer the children reassurance and empathy following restraint and the opportunity to discuss what happened. This helps children to discuss incidents and raise any concerns they may have.

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

Staff receive the appropriate training to respond effectively to the needs of the children. Where more specialist training is required, this is quickly organised. Children are therefore cared for by staff who understand their behaviours and can respond to them competently. This helps to keep children safe.

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

Overall, the manager recruits new staff in accordance with safer recruitment protocols. However, not all gaps in previous employment are fully accounted for. This is important so the manager can understand the full employment history of those caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly committed to the children she cares for and is ambitious for them. She talks about children with compassion and understanding. She has a good grasp of the children’s strengths and needs, and she understands that care practice must adapt to children’s changing needs. Children are extremely fond of the manager and know they can turn to her for support and help. Children have developed very good relationships with staff and trust them. One professional said that, ‘[The manager] leads from the front. She can be firm and direct, she is creative and engages with professionals, and it’s the child’s needs that are prioritised.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2691185 5 Staff enjoy their jobs. They feel very well supported and know the manager values them. Team meetings and shift handovers take place regularly. The team meetings support the learning and development of staff. Staff work together to develop

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

strategies to manage more challenging behaviours. Staff are invested in the culture and the therapeutic approach to meeting children’s needs. This provides children with consistency of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision from their manager. They feel that their views are listened to. Supervisions occur regularly and allow for exploration of both their work and homelife. This helps to build the staff’s resilience, confidence and optimism. Staff believe that the manager is nurturing and inspiring. This has led to several temporary staff members wishing to become permanent and to others wanting to progress within the organisation. Consequently, children are cared for by a familiar and consistent team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has developed excellent processes to track children’s progress in accordance with their differing risks and needs. Children’s development and progress are communicated to external professionals. The manager coordinates external agencies to ensure that appropriate support is in place for children when needed. The manager provides consistent oversight, and the staff look to her for guidance. Inspection report for children’s home: 2691185 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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that all gaps in employment for new members of staff are fully explored. 25 January 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school trips, out of school and other clubs, volunteering and leisure activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2691185 7 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: 2691185 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malty Cross Ltd, 16 St. James’s Street, Nottingham NG1 6FG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kelly Gliszczynski

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Inspector

Louise Copping, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2691185 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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