Children's Home, Residential special school run by The Senad Group Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC372504 1 SC372504 Registered provider: The Senad Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is registered to provide care for up to 39 children and young people aged from five to 19 years who may have learning disabilities, Prader-Willi syndrome, or autism spectrum disorder conditions.

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Information about this children's home

Children live in one of five houses. There is an independent special school on the same site. This inspection focused solely on the residential children’s home.

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Information about this children's home

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He registered with Ofsted in January 2017.

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Information about this children's home

There were 14 children living in the home at the time of the inspection. Inspectors saw and spoke with several children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children's home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 27 November 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC372504 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/11/2023 Full Outstanding 20/07/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Outstanding 04/06/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC372504 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The residential team is aspirational for children. The cohesive residential and education teams support children to reach their individual targets and goals. This promotes children’s improved outcomes in several areas. Staff help children to learn a wide range of skills. Staff support children to develop improved self-regulation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Co-production is an extremely strong theme. Wherever possible, children are involved in their care planning. This has meant that for some children they have retained autonomy about their care. Children can learn about how staff will support them when they feel anxious. This leads to children regulating their feelings better and managing their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have an extensive knowledge of children’s individual communication needs, and always have access to various tools to support effective communication. Staff use these in addition to other forms of communication. Therefore, children have several ways to communicate their needs, which will promote their voice being heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Exceptional care and a wide range of activities enable children to have stimulating experiences. They are involved in the planning of holidays of their choice and trips to places of interest. Staff provide children with daily activities to expand their potential. Children enjoy opportunities that they may otherwise not have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children access a wide variety of activities. Should staff identify barriers that would hamper a child’s ability to experience an activity, they work hard to reduce these so that children remain included in society. These varied opportunities help children to improve their confidence and support them to develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is a team around the child approach to supporting children. Leaders and managers work closely with external agencies, a therapeutic support team, social workers, and education staff to ensure that children have the right support around them. The therapy team offers overarching and regular support to the team. Staff and children benefit from this holistic approach.

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

Safeguarding children, both within and outside of the home, requires meticulous planning. This planning reduces risk and keeps children safe. Risk assessments are continually reviewed to accurately reflect the levels of risk. This means that, when possible, children can experience new challenges and develop new skills while remaining safe.

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

The children’s home and school share several trained and experienced designated safeguarding leads. The team understands the needs of the children and their families. Inspection report for children's home: SC372504 4 The staff work in partnership with agencies and have effective links with local authority designated officers. This collaboration enables the sharing of best practice to keep children safe.

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

Investigations into allegations are shared with the appropriate safeguarding agencies. Managers ensure that investigations are wide ranging and thorough. Where appropriate, children’s views are ascertained. Support is provided to staff while under investigation. On one occasion, staff did not report a concern in a timely manner. However, managers took robust and effective action to safeguard children once this information was known.

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

Staff are appropriately trained in physical intervention, and the home has a designated behaviour lead. Staff have used their positive relationships with children, alongside holistic interventions, to try to reduce the need for physical intervention. Staff know to use all other positive behaviour support techniques. When physical intervention is required, this is tried at the lowest level and then a graduated approach is used, only when necessary.

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

Dedicated managers oversee all areas of positive behaviour support planning. They have robust oversight of all interventions and monitor patterns and trends. They provide guidance, support and training to staff. This is successful, and for several children incidents have reduced. Further development continues, including using a reflection tool so that most children, regardless of their communication, can make their views known. Development in this area is a strength of the home.

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

Children rarely go missing from care. When they have left the home without the agreement of staff, the correct procedures are followed. Staff search for children and liaise with the correct agencies to support the safe return of children.

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

Staff continually build on their knowledge of the children and the most appropriate way to support them and keep them safe. All the children have detailed risk assessments and behaviour support plans. These documents provide staff with the necessary guidance on how to meet the children’s needs on a day-to-day basis and ensure they remain safe.

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

Careful recruitment means that only staff who have been through a robust procedure and deemed safe, work with highly vulnerable children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The residential team is well established and highly effective. Partnership working with the on-site school is well developed. The registered manager provides steadfast leadership of his team. The team is aspirational for all children. The team has an excellent morale and a sense of shared ownership. This ensures a continued and dynamic improvement across the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Effective internal and external quality assurance systems ensure that there is a detailed analysis of the operation of the children’s home. This means that leaders and managers Inspection report for children's home: SC372504 5 have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses. Firm plans are in place to drive continual improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team provides staff with regular supervision. This process allows for staff’s competence and knowledge of children to be reviewed. In addition, staff are provided with guidance and support that contributes to their professional development. Staff can reflect on their practice in monthly team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Enthusiastic and motivated managers are keen to continually promote staff development. Staff begin their training as part of a thorough induction programme. They then continue to enhance their skills and knowledge with additional and child-specific training when required. Children therefore receive individualised care and support to meet their complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers work in partnership with external agencies to ensure that the children receive the support they need. Professionals are of the view that the children are making progress, and communication from the staff at the home is effective. Inspection report for children's home: SC372504 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff whistle-blow concerns without delay. 6 December 2024

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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: SC372504 7

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Children's home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children's home details

Registered provider: The Senad Group Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Senad Group Limited, 1 St. Georges House, Vernon Gate, Derby DE1 1UQ

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Inspectors

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC372504 8 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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