Children's home run by Derbyshire County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2642643 1 Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority owns this home. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a suitably qualified and experienced manager in post, who has applied to be 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 requires improvement to be 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: 14 February 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2642643 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2023 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2642643 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home environment is relaxed, with a comfortable atmosphere. It is a large home that is well maintained and in keeping with a family home. The children refer to the home as theirs. Children have positive relationships with the staff, and nurturing relationships were observed during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a therapeutic approach in all the work that they do. Staff understand the specific needs of each child and their risks. Staff spend time with children, building their trust and confidence. Consequently, children can talk to staff about concerns or worries they may have. Children can express themselves in a confident manner and their voices are heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care plans are child-centred. They provide a meaningful and accurate picture, with evidence of children having input into their plans. The staff conduct one-to-one sessions with the children, which provides further opportunities for children to share their views, wishes and feelings. Staff use ‘positive postcards’ to show how proud they are of the children and the progress they have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to make progress in all areas of their life. For example, a child was given the opportunity to go on holiday abroad and experience another culture and travelling. Children have been involved in creating menu planners, going shopping, learning recipes and cooking meals. The life skills that children learn will support their independence and eventual transition into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of children accessing education and have advocated for children when formal education provision has not suited their needs. In these instances, staff have worked closely with education colleagues to secure a more appropriate provision. One child participates in voluntary work with two different charities and is looking to secure an apprenticeship with one of the charitable organisations. This opportunity allows the child to learn new skills and develop their confidence when considering future career options.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are promoted and there is evidence of good multi-agency working. The staff team has undertaken specific work with one child regarding their mental health. This has enabled the child to make more informed choices about her life.

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

Safeguarding remains a priority in the home. Staff know the children well and can identify when any new behaviours arise. When this occurs, the safe care plans are updated and shared with the team. This ensures that all staff are aware of how best to support the children.

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home have significantly reduced. One child who used to go missing for days at a time has stopped doing this. Instead, Inspection report for children’s home: 2642643 4 they remain in the local area and see friends there. This is testament to the arduous work of the staff, who have nurtured the child, built relationships with them, and let them know that they are cared about.

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

When incidents have occurred in the home, the leadership team has ensured that all parties involved in the care of the child are informed. The leadership team was creative in its approach when a child’s relationship with the police broke down. The child now understands the role of the police and why they respond in the way they do.

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

Conflict management is a strength of the home. Restorative practice is used to ensure that any issues are quickly resolved. This allows the atmosphere in the home to remain light-hearted and this reassures the children and adds to their feelings of safety.

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

Incidents in the home sometimes result in the premises and items being damaged. The leadership team is quick to respond when this occurs. Staff carry out any required safety checks. This helps to ensure that the environment is safe for the children to live in.

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good

The home is led by a dedicated and enthusiastic manager who genuinely cares about the children living in the home.

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good

Since the last inspection, the team has endured some tough times in the home. This has impacted on the emotional resilience of the team and there has been an elevated level of staff sickness. The leadership team recognises the impact of incidents on staff and offers additional support to them. Extra support has been secured from an external agency to help staff explore their worries in a safe environment and identify coping mechanisms.

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good

The manager has tried to secure child-specific training for the team, but this has not been available locally. Staff are therefore without specific skills and knowledge that would support them in their role. Some members of staff need to update their essential training. The leadership team needs to assure itself that staff are aware that only those who are suitably trained can administer medication to children.

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good

The leadership team has introduced various audit tools to assist its overview of the home. At times, though, this is less of a priority due to incidents in the home. Therefore, the manager’s oversight is inconsistent.

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good

Supervision has not been prioritised in the home. This means that staff are not being given the opportunity to discuss their role, the support they may require or their personal development. A concern is that some essential information about a member of staff could go unnoticed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642643 5 The manager has updated the home’s statement of purpose. However, they have omitted to share this with Ofsted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642643 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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to any revised statement of purpose being submitted to HMCI within 28 days. 20 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff being suitably trained to administer medication. 4 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and 4 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2642643 7 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the supervision of staff taking place in line with the home’s policy of once a month.

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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: 2642643 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Offices, Matlock DE4 3AG

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Inspectors

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Kay Challand, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2642643 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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