Children's home run by Nottingham City Council

Inspection report children's home: 1277041 1 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 2 children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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 outstanding

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1277041 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/07/2021 Full Good 06/08/2019 Full Good 21/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 1277041 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are very settled because they receive individualised care from an experienced and skilled group of staff. The managers and staff ensure children have good routines which means the children sleep well and are prepared for their school day. Staff are consistent in their care which helps children to feel safe and secure. One child said, ‘I feel loved and cared for.’ The manager and staff prioritise children’s education. Children have excellent school attendance and have a good attitude to learning. One child is preparing for GCSE exams and assessments. He has received additional support from a tutor to help with core subjects. When children struggle at school the managers advocate on their behalf to ensure they get the right support to make progress. Children have strong relationships with the managers and staff. They look forward to seeing each other and sharing their news from the day. Staff hold children in

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

mind when they are away from the home and children stay in touch when they move on. This is testament to the relationships they build. Staff support children with activities outside of school. They are encouraged to fulfil their aspirations and develop new interests. One child plays football and staff regularly watch him take part in tournaments. This means a lot to the child and staff are very proud of him. Staff ensure children have new opportunities which brings them excitement and joy. One member of staff has a special event this year and he has invited the children. This shows the sense of family created in the home. The manager is compiling photo albums for each child to capture their special memories. The manager and staff ensure children attend health appointments and can access services at the point of need. They are well supported with their emotional wellbeing. Children have help to understand their life experiences and how they

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

have impacted on them. One child is currently learning about his heritage which is important for his sense of identity. Staff know how important family and friends are to children and ensure they are supported to see them as much as possible. Children are regularly consulted about their views. They are included in decision making and feel able to tell staff when they are unhappy. Complaints are rare but they are acted upon, and children are informed of the outcome. This shows children they are listened to and valued. There are two areas of the home which are not fully maintained. Following inspection, the manager recognises the importance of addressing this in a timely way.

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

Children are safe and protected from harm. Incidents in the home have decreased considerably over recent months. The managers and staff provide a trauma informed approach to the children’s care which has helped them to manage their Inspection report children's home: 1277041 4 feelings in healthy ways. The home has a calm and relaxed atmosphere which helps the children to relax and get along with each other. Staff do not need to use physical restraint as they can de-escalate situations verbally using their training and experience. The managers and staff provide consistent boundaries for children and address any worries with their behaviour. Where there are issues at school the home collaborates well with teaching staff to develop solutions. Staff protect children from harm when they are out in the community. They have a good understanding of contextual safeguarding risks. Children are helped to develop their own awareness

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

of risk as they become more independent. Children are kept safe online. Staff help children to maintain a healthy balance between ‘screen time’ and other activities. Children are taught about online risks and staff carry out checks of online activity as any good parent would. Staff are safely recruited through robust recruitment processes. The manager has been required to employ staff from an agency to ensure children are supported at night. There is careful recruitment of these members of staff, and they have established relationships with the children. As such, they are now part of the team and children always know who is caring for them. The managers ensure that accidents are recorded. However, some incidents are recorded in an accident book and some in children’s files. There is not yet a consistent system which could lead to confusion about how often accidents are happening in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is an inspiring management team. The registered manager has a calm and confident approach which is complemented by the assistant manager’s commitment and attention to detail. They work together exceptionally well and the registered manager delegates responsibilities appropriately. The managers are ambitious for children and strive to achieve the best for them in all areas of their lives. They have high standards and expect the same from staff. This is working well as staff provide a consistent approach to their care which has enabled children to make excellent progress. Managers have established a skilled and diverse staff team. This is highly beneficial for children in terms of meeting their cultural needs. There is a richness to children’s care which helps them to understand and value different views and beliefs. As a result, children develop a well-informed view of society. Staff are full of enthusiasm and dedication. They spoke unanimously about how they

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

enjoy their work and see the children as their second family. The team receive excellent management support particularly with any personal issues. They know they are valued. This helps to maintain their resilience and commitment to the children. Staff describe the managers as ‘fantastic’ and a ‘breath of fresh air’. Inspection report children's home: 1277041 5 Managers ensure that staff receive constructive and individualised supervision and training. They all receive an annual appraisal which is tailored to their needs, which is kept under close review throughout the year. Good attention is paid to ensuring staff achieve the required qualification. This means they are working consistently from a professional framework to inform their practice. The managers have excellent oversight of the home, understanding it’s strengths and areas for improvement. There is an active development plan for the home, which is attuned to children's needs, and focused on children’s progress. As a result,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

care planning is dynamic and forward thinking. Professionals have high levels of confidence in the care offered by the home. They have regular communication to ensure children have a strong and effective team around them. The managers are well regarded. Professionals respect their views and knowledge of the children. The managers are highly influential in the decision making about children’s lives. Inspection report children's home: 1277041 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children's homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 63, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children's home: 1277041 7

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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 children's home: 1277041 8

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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 children's home: 1277041 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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