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

Inspection report for children's home: SC037521 1 SC037521 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

The local authority owns this home. The home’s main function is to provide a short- breaks service for children with complex health needs, including physical or sensory disabilities. In addition, the home also offers an emergency provision. This resource provides children with temporary care and support until suitable and longer-term residences are found.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been a seamless change of manager since the last inspection. The new manager is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC037521 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/08/2021 Full Outstanding 23/10/2019 Full Outstanding 04/12/2018 Full Good 13/12/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC037521 3

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outstanding

Children are making exceptional progress from their starting points as a result of the excellent care that they receive from a committed staff team.

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outstanding

Children thrive once they have built secure and trusted relationships with the adults who care for them. In parallel to this, the children receive high nurture as well as consistent and dependable care with clear rules and boundaries. The staff demonstrate their exceptional knowledge and understanding of each child’s needs. This ensures that children feel safer, secure, more relaxed and able to take pleasure in their visit to the home.

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outstanding

Children make considerable progress and meet the target goals set, for instance by becoming less anxious in social situations, communicating by signing and becoming more independent. Small steps represent significant progress for some children, for example being able to undertake everyday activities such as dressing themselves, using the toilet unaided and sitting at the table to eat a meal.

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outstanding

Excellent care plans and other supporting records set out clearly how staff are to care for the children. This supports staff to deliver consistent care to children. Staff recognise the importance of gathering essential information from parents, carers and social workers to inform each child’s care plan. In consultation with children and carers, each child has targets to support their individual progress.

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outstanding

The children benefit enormously from the sheer enjoyment of having an overnight stay at the home. Their experiences are exceptionally positive. They thoroughly enjoy being able to meet up with friends, play and take part in a wide range of social and leisure activities in the home and the community.

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outstanding

Staff give high importance to listening to the voice of the child. Children are able to strongly communicate their wishes, feelings and choices. If children are not able to communicate verbally, other methods are used such as the Picture Exchange Communication System and British Sign Language. This makes sure that children have a purposeful say over what is important to them.

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outstanding

The children are listened to by staff and influence the activities on offer. These include what toys they would like to play with and consultation about the meals they have on their visits. Young inspectors periodically visit the home to make certain that the voice of children is listened to. Currently, the young inspectors are helping with a review of the children’s complaints procedure, making it more user-friendly for all children. Inspection report for children's home: SC037521 4 The achievements of all children are always celebrated with ‘wow’ moments. The children receive a certificate for their achievements. These include acts of kindness and the success in reaching a target set in their care plan, including learning new life skills.

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outstanding

Children have access to a wide variety of social and leisure activities in the community. Children go shopping, to the cinema, for walks, bowling, to the park and out to eat. There has been a ‘fund day’ for all children and parents to attend and a Christmas party. Parents and others have said that this has made such a difference to individual children, extending their daily experiences of the world around them and enhancing family life.

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outstanding

Children have well-planned short-break stays. These start with short introductory visits, going at the child’s pace. They include visits for tea, extending the time at the home before they come to sleep. This affords families and the children time to adjust, be less anxious and settle into regular stays more easily.

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outstanding

The home’s environment is child-friendly, with children’s art and photos on display throughout. The atmosphere created is calm and welcoming. The home is spacious, with a variety of communal rooms and a garden. There are lounges, play areas and sensory rooms. The children enjoy the freedom of the home and the garden. This provides children with a range of choices on how they wish to spend their time.

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outstanding

Several children have needed to access the emergency bed this year. The staff have cared for these children, meeting their individual and diverse needs and providing emotional support with understanding, care and compassion. The senior team has worked closely with other professionals. These have included social workers, education and health staff, along with families and the children themselves. This has assisted in finding the right and longer-term placement for each child.

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outstanding

The manager ensures that good planning is in place for children who are moving on. Children benefit from carefully planned visits to their new carers before they move. This has provided children with the reassurance they need and helped their move to be positive.

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outstanding

This home makes outstanding provision in safeguarding children’s welfare. Everyone involved in supporting children plays a role in ensuring that they are better protected from harm. This includes staff being confident in all areas of child protection and having the necessary knowledge and skills to keep children safer.

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outstanding

Highly effective planning and review of safe care practices are helping staff to identify potential risks posed to children. Staff follow all safeguarding procedures when required to protect children. The staff know the action to take when an allegation is made, if a child goes missing or if there are any concerns about a child’s safety. Inspection report for children's home: SC037521 5 Staff have knowledge and understanding about the vulnerabilities and potential risks for each child. The detailed individual written risk assessment records include this specific information and are regularly reviewed. This ensures that all staff are fully aware of the safety needs for each child. This helps staff to better protect children from harm.

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outstanding

Staff have a detailed understanding of each child and know how to implement the right approach should a child become overanxious or go into crisis. Staff are fully aware of the strategies and diversional methods that will provide the absolute best support. This ensures that children quickly return to their settled selves.

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outstanding

Children being held by staff to keep them and others safe is an exceedingly rare occurrence. This demonstrates that the majority of children respond positively to the care approaches used and remain relaxed, settled, calm and safe.

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outstanding

Good staffing levels allow children to have the right supervision, care and support. In turn, this assists in keeping children safe as staff are always present.

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outstanding

Staff are employed after thorough safe recruitment checks are completed. These include undertaking a Disclosure and Barring Service check, having a full employment history and obtaining references. This makes sure staff working with children are safe to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The new interim manager has the upmost ambition for the children receiving care at the home. He is a role model to all, ensuring that only the absolute best will do for the children. This has created a culture of high aspirational outcomes for the children. This positivity and vision cascade to the senior team and the staff. All staff spoke passionately and with total commitment about the care and support they provide to children and their families. The staff know the children extremely well. They spoke with clarity about the best way to support and meet the very individual and diverse needs of each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The monitoring of the service is comprehensive. The internal and external monitoring systems have improved the quality of the care delivered to children. The changes made include reflective discussion of care practice, more in-depth medication administration, recording and storage audits, the quality of records and more scrutiny of the quality of formal staff supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There has been a development and recognition of staff interests and skills, with the management team using these and supporting further staff development. This has brought enhanced benefits for children in terms of education, transitions when children reach the age to access adult services and broadening activities and social experiences for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children and their families receive tremendous care and support from the very experienced and well-trained staff. All the staff hold a level 3 qualification in working Inspection report for children's home: SC037521 6 with children. The manager has instigated with the senior team the expansion of staff training that includes social pedagogy, gastro-tube feeding, restorative justice and autism spectrum disorder. This complements the mandatory training, for example in first aid, safeguarding, medication, and health and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The requirement and recommendation from the last inspection have been actioned, and the review of the quality of care (regulation 45 report) and the statement of purpose have been sent to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular formal supervision and attend staff meetings to ensure that their personal development and care practice meet the required standards. More recently, the management team has introduced a new self-reflective model approach that focuses on promoting staff well-being and resilience. Staff state that they feel valued. In turn, this has generated improved staff morale and further enhanced teamwork.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals and parents spoke with respect and praise about the care children receive. The staff communicate routinely to keep everyone up to date about the care of the children. This provides excellent partnership working in the best interest of children.

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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: SC037521 7

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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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Inspectors

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Shirin Khan Mahmandi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC037521 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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