Children's home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire Dales

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 1 SC062536 Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who was appointed in March 2022 and registered with Ofsted in January 2023. The registered manager was absent from work at the time of the visit. There is an interim manager in post. They were present for the visit.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged requires improvement to be good at the full inspection on 24 and 25 May 2023. Ofsted then received several safeguarding notifications, and a regulation 44 report that identified concerns in the home. An assurance inspection was carried out on 13 September 2023 and two compliance notices were issued along with a restriction of accommodation notice that limited the number of children that could be admitted.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has complied with the restriction of accommodation notice. No children have been admitted to the home since the assurance inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has commissioned work to be carried out on updating and improving the home environment. Work is still in progress, but the home is reaching the stage where all that remains to be done is for bedroom furniture to be purchased and soft furnishings to be added. Staff spoke positively about the improvements that have been made in the home. Staff also said that they now work with the children to ensure that their bedrooms are kept clean and tidy. Also, children know that staff need to go into their bedrooms to ensure the bedrooms are clean and appropriate for them. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 2 The manager has reinforced to staff the importance of everyone in the home adhering to fire safety policies and procedures. The staff have carried out individual sessions with the children who smoke. Referrals have been made to external agencies for additional support regarding the cessation of smoking. One child has

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not always responded in a supportive way to address conflict between the children. The manager has sourced support from a psychologist and secured training on managing conflict and restoring relationships.

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This monitoring visit

There have not been any allegations made since the compliance notices were issued. The manager and senior leaders have critically reviewed how the last allegation was managed and have identified areas of learning.

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This monitoring visit

Safe care plans have been reviewed and are updated when required. These are shared with staff at team meetings or through discussions in the home. However, more oversight of the plans is needed.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has worked hard to establish good relationships with external agencies supporting the children. Regular meetings are now scheduled with professionals and information is shared about the children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has recently recruited additional staff and there are no vacancies in the home. There are suitable numbers of staff to meet the day-to-day arrangements of the children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not always considered the compatibility of children already living at the home and the needs of new children moving into the home. This has caused issues and children expressing concerns that they do not feel safe in the home. The manager and senior leaders have now reviewed their process to ensure that the needs of all children are considered when decisions are made.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices set after the assurance inspection have now been met and the restriction of accommodation notice has now ended.

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This monitoring visit

The statutory requirements set at the full inspection have not been considered at this monitoring visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/07/2022 Full Inadequate 09/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that, when children are at significant risk, escalation processes are timely. This relates to managing dynamics and escalating matters with the local authority in a timely manner. 4 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and 4 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 5 enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff consistently providing a safe, nurturing and homely environment for children in their care.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(x)) 4 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)) 4 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 4 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that safeguarding processes are managed effectively and that the home is operating a positive safeguarding culture. This includes ensuring that children are not subject to prolonged periods of intimidating behaviours. This also includes the safe management of fire safety procedures in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 4 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 7 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements to the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to leaders and managers of the home ensuring that children receive continuity of care and that managers implement effective monitoring of the quality of care provided and take positive action when this is compromised.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that there is a thorough matching process, and that the needs of the child coming into the home will not negatively impact on the other children. Also, staff have the required skills and knowledge to care for all children living in the home, and that the children’s welfare is promoted at all times. 22 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. 4 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 8 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it;

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Requirement Due date

and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed;

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Derbyshire County Council, County Offices, Matlock, DE4 3AG

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Inspector

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062536 10 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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