Children's Home, Residential special school run by SENAD Limited in Derby

Inspection report children's home: 2581909 1 Registered provider: SENAD 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 home is the residential provision of an independent special school. It provides care for up to eight children aged from seven to sixteen years who have learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children's home

Five children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager recently departed his position. Interim leadership arrangements are in place.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2581909 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2023 Full Outstanding 05/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2581909 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children who have complex learning needs enjoy exceptional experiences at the home. The staff are dedicated and knowledgeable childcare practitioners. The staff nurture children. They are positive adult role models, who teach children a wide range of life skills. As a result of this nurturing approach, children thrive and enjoy positive outcomes and experiences. For example, children have been able to go for an overnight holiday, and for some, this is an amazing achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are aspirational for children. They constantly seek ways to assist children to develop their independence. Visual schedules are one method used to explain to a child, what actions are needed to complete a task. This approach has over time, enabled children to develop key skills that will continue to support them in the years to come.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have extensive knowledge of children’s individual communication needs and always have various tools to support effective communication, such as a visual timetable which enhances predictability. This helps to lower anxiety and reduces incidents of negative behaviour. This home does not stand still, there is a drive to improve communication processes even further led by enthusiastic and well-informed staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home has a strong therapeutic ethos to care planning. Children’s emotional well- being is always prioritised. This helps the children to better understand the emotions and feelings they experience when they are upset, angry, or sad. This leads to children regulating their feelings better and managing their emotions. The staff are observant and vigilant. They are curious when they see a change in a child’s behaviour for example, one child when upset would become unregulated now they will seek out staff and ask them for help. This is excellent progress and leads to improved behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff prioritise children’s education with children attending school daily. Staff and education colleagues work collaboratively, and they both agree on targets for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are helped to take part in their religious activities. For instance, children are supported to undertake their prayers each morning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have medication to help support their health and wellbeing. Staff are trained to administer medication to children. There is a clear system that staff must follow. Managers or senior practitioners monitor practice daily, weekly, and monthly. This means errors can be identified early and not become systematic.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in a purpose-built home. They have lots of space throughout bedrooms and shared areas. When needed living spaces are dynamically risk assessed to ensure children remain safe. New developments have taken place since the last inspection including a cinema room and new kitchen. Inspection report children's home: 2581909 4

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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 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

Complaints and allegations are escalated and investigated appropriately. Managers ensure that they promptly inform the local authority designated officer following any allegation. Safeguarding protocols are followed. However on one occasion concerns about staff practice were not shared effectively with all safeguarding agencies.

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

The home and school share several trained and experienced designated safeguarding leads. The team understands the needs of the children and their families. Leaders and managers 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

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

When children have struggled to manage their emotions, this has led to incidents. However, children respond positively to the consistent, caring, and nurturing approach used by staff. Investment from staff in relationships is the foundation to this progress. Staff understand and implement actions from the child’s behaviour support plan. This is helping the children to manage their emotions more effectively.

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

Staff are appropriately trained in physical intervention. Staff have used their positive relationships with children alongside holistic interventions to reduce the need for physical interventions. Staff know to use all other positive behaviour support techniques and that physical intervention is the absolute last resort for keeping children safe.

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

The manager has ensured there is an effective safe recruitment process. This helps to ensure that only those adults who have been assessed as safe to work with children are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The residential team is established and highly effective. Until recently the registered manager provided steadfast leadership of his team. Currently the manager post is vacant, however interim measures in place are robust. Inspection report children's home: 2581909 5 The staff team are aspirational for all children. The team has an excellent team morale and a sense of shared ownership. This ensures a continued and dynamic improvement across the home. Staff are integral to this approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Internal and external quality assurance processes ensure that there is a detailed analysis of the operation of the home. This means that leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. Firm plans are in place to drive continual improvement. Independent advocacy continues to be a strength.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and 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

Staff receive regular and focused professional supervision that supports their ongoing development. Staff get time to reflect on their care practice with managers. This allows managers to check staff’s competence and knowledge of children, and make changes as required. This ensures that staff provide the children with responsive and considered care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: 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. Staff and children benefit from this holistic approach. Professionals are of the view that the children are making progress and communication from the staff at the home is effective. Inspection report children's home: 2581909 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and the placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risk on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the Children's Home Regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 2581909 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 address: 1 St. Georges House, Vernon Gate, Derby DE1 1UQ

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Children's home details

Registered manager: Cameron Bradley King

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2581909 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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