Children's Home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034969 1 SC034969 Registered provider: Nottingham City Council 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 a local authority. It is registered to provide care for three children who may have emotional, behavioural and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an experienced manager in post who registered with Ofsted in 2013.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034969 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2022 Full Good 28/02/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 23/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC034969 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living at the home. Children are receiving good care from an experienced and dedicated staff team. The manager and staff genuinely care for the children and are attentive to their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their own individual identities. They are accepted for who they are. This helps children to relax and settle into the home. Children make good progress because they know that they are valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff understand children’s emotional needs very well. They recognise when children need specialist services and help children to access support when necessary. As a result, children have opportunities to share their thoughts and feelings in a safe way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take children on days out and encourage them to develop their interests. Children enjoy outdoor activities and an annual holiday. When children struggle to socialise, staff support them to try new clubs and sports, which helps them to discover what they enjoy. This is important for developing children’s social skills and sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy time with their family and friends. The manager and staff have regular contact with people who are important to the children. Children’s friends are welcomed to the home for visits.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff support children with their education. They have advocated successfully for one child to move schools. This has been life-changing as the child is now able to enjoy learning in a safe environment. The child’s attendance has improved significantly, and they said they are no longer ‘just getting through the day’. Two of the children are currently finding education more difficult. The manager works with other agencies to find ways of supporting children to attend regularly. This sensitive and persistent approach is beginning to have a positive impact.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to develop their independence. For example, they are encouraged to travel on public transport and learn how to cook. One child is currently preparing to move on. He is learning to manage budgeting and shopping responsibilities. The staff take an empathetic approach with children when introducing the realities of becoming more independent. The manager continues to support children when they move out as any good parent would.

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

The manager and staff know the risks posed to children well. They are not daunted by known or emerging risks as they have the experience and skills to manage a range of issues. Risk management plans are in place for all children and are Inspection report for children’s home: SC034969 4 regularly reviewed. The manager has good oversight of children’s risks and vulnerabilities, knowing when to involve external professionals for appropriate help.

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

Children have trusted staff who they can talk to. They also benefit from established relationships with external professionals. This creates a network of safety for children, which helps them learn to rely on adults through difficult times. This is important for strengthening their resilience and coping strategies for the future.

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

Staff confidently support children with managing their behaviour. There is little conflict at the home, and staff use mediation to help children resolve any disagreements. Children are regularly consulted about the dynamics so that feelings do not build up and become overwhelming.

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

The manager and staff respond well to missing-from-home incidents. They keep in contact with children when they are missing and involve all relevant agencies to ensure that children are returned as soon as possible. Information is gathered and shared at strategy meetings to develop proportionate safety plans. Risks are regularly reviewed to highlight any indicators of exploitation. This helps to protect children from increasing levels of harm.

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

Staff check children’s rooms for items that could be harmful. Checks are undertaken sensitively, with the children present when this is possible. Clear records are kept regarding these incidents, and the manager has oversight to ensure that checks are undertaken appropriately. The staff respect children’s privacy as far as possible while putting their safety first.

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

The manager and staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. When children raise concerns about staff, these are formally investigated, and the manager informs the relevant agencies. Children are informed of the outcome and, when appropriate, work is undertaken to repair relationships.

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

Generally, staff are recruited safely. However, a new online application form has omitted to check with applicants about the reasons that they left roles working with children. Senior leaders highlighted this with the relevant department during the inspection, and this is being addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced registered manager. The manager has considerable empathy for the children and expects the same of his staff team. He leads by example and ensures that the staff team is supported in its work. There are two experienced assistant managers. They work well together to ensure that the home runs smoothly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are experienced, and the team has remained stable. Staff are happy in their work. The manager has full confidence in the staff and instils this confidence in them. They have respect for him and enjoy his leadership style. When performance Inspection report for children’s home: SC034969 5 issues arise, the manager addresses these through regular supervision sessions and appraisals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular training which is tailored to the children’s needs. Development days provide opportunities for the staff team to review children’s progress and identify new areas of learning. Learning is translated into children’s care plans, including, for example, trauma-informed practice and gender issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals have confidence in the home. They speak positively about the consistency of care, the staff’s experience and good management. The staff engage well with the wider network of professionals. The manager is a good advocate for children and is influential in decision-making about their lives. When there are barriers to progress, he ensures that issues are escalated so that changes can be made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the home continues to develop through a child-centred development plan. He has a good understanding of the areas that need further work. The manager has responded well to the recommendations from the last inspection. There are systems in place that track children’s progress in different areas of their lives. This enables the team to identify any worrying patterns that could put children at increased risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034969 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there is ongoing good employment practice. They must ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This includes verifying, where possible, why applicants left employment working with children or vulnerable adults. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC034969 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nottingham City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG2 3NG

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Inspector

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034969 8 regulates and inspects 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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