Children's home run by East Midlands Care Matters Limited in Amber Valley

Inspection report for children's home: SC381522 1 SC381522 Registered provider: East Midlands Care Matters Limited 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 private company. The home provides care for children and young people aged up to 19 years. Children and young people may have a range of emotional and behavioural needs. They may also have a learning disability or a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is experienced and qualified.

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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: 21 February 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC381522 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/01/2022 Full Good 19/02/2020 Full Good 09/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC381522 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are at the heart of this home. Managers and staff provide children with an extremely warm and nurturing home environment. Staff speak about children with enthusiasm, warmth and compassion. They demonstrate unwavering commitment to the children. This enables children to flourish in all areas of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team shows a genuine commitment towards supporting children. The children have positive relationships with the staff. This helps children to settle in following their move to the home and supports them to get on track and make progress. This has also been critical in enabling children to build secure and meaningful relationships with a team of staff that they know, trust and rely on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, the manager and staff ensure they are well prepared. Effective plans provide clarity for the staff to effectively meet the child’s individual needs. Before moving in, staff visit the child and begin to build relationships with them and their family. This is because they understand the importance of such life-changing moves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to explore their interests. They enjoy many positive activities and are supported to develop hobbies. For example, one child is taking guitar lessons. Staff are confident in meeting the children’s needs while helping them to develop their individual hobbies. Because of this, children’s confidence and self-esteem grow.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive education daily. They are well prepared for the school day, and this helps them learn. Staff work closely with education providers to ensure that there is effective partnership working to help children make good progress. One child has just completed their mock GCSE exams and is preparing to continue with their education. Children engage with education and make clear progress.

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

Children are safe in this home. This is because they have strong and trusting relationships with the manager and staff. Children talk openly about their current and previous life experiences. This means that staff can support children to overcome past trauma and manage current risks.

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

Staff have received safeguarding training. As a result, they have a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Staff know how to report any concerns they may have. Safeguarding incidents are exceptionally rare. When there has been a safeguarding incident, the manager and staff are reflective in their practice. Because of this, safeguarding practice is adapted in line with the changing needs of each child. Inspection report for children's home: SC381522 4 Staff are extremely diligent. This ensures that the potential risks to children are understood and minimised. Risk assessments are thorough. They provide clear information about how children need to be supported. Staff know and understand the underlying causes of the more challenging behaviours that children can present. As a result, children are assured that staff will do everything to keep them safe.

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

Children have good, individualised care plans. Children are involved in their plans. They know their goals and how to reach them. These plans are detailed and are reviewed. The plans provide staff with consistency and clarity on the actions they need to take to keep children safe. Consent is not always obtained from children or their placing authority for the home’s independent visitor to access children’s files during their monthly reviews of the home.

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

Staff empower children to make choices and decisions about their day-to-day care and future plans. Children are able to contribute to their own records. This means that children’s wishes and feelings are listened to and considered. As a result, children are able to have their say and be involved in their plans. However, the views and feedback from children are not always recorded in the day-to-day running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is passionate and dedicated to her role. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience, which she shares with her team. This is instrumental in maintaining the good standard of care provided. The manager is committed to providing the best possible outcomes for the children. She has a clear vision for the home and is fully aware of and understands its strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager strives to promote the development of the staff, who are supported to develop and grow. Reflective practice is thoroughly embedded throughout the service and embraced by staff. This promotes a culture of continual learning and development. Because of this, children receive care from a skilled, reflective and knowledgeable team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported by managers in their day-to-day practice. Managers are visible and approachable, and this has helped to build a stable staff team. Staff have one-to-one meetings and yearly appraisals. However, safeguarding is not routinely discussed. Staff would benefit from opportunities to share concerns and develop their practice in these meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring systems in place. She knows the children well and has good oversight of the care provided. Reflective practice is strong, and managers use what they learn through monitoring the care provided to continually drive improvement. Because of this, plans are dynamic in nature and change with the child. This contributes to providing consistent, positive and child-centred care. Inspection report for children's home: SC381522 5 Partnership work with external agencies is positive. Multidisciplinary work means that the best interests of the children are met. A range of professionals and family members contributed to this inspection and commended the work and commitment of the manager and staff. One person said, ‘They are golden. I don’t know how else to describe how good they are. They go above and beyond for the children.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC381522 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, The 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 ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that consent forms are completed for each child and placed on file. 7 August 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions reflect discussion on safeguarding issues, which allows staff to reflect on their practice and the needs and risks of children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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: SC381522 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Midlands Care Matters Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 58 Brackendale Road, Swanwick, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 1DX

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Inspector

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Emma Dacres, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC381522 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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